Wire fabric.



No. 646,!3l. Patented Mar. 27, I900. J. W. SHEPPARD.

WIRE FABRIC.

(Application filed June 7, 1899.1 (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. SHEPPARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WIRE FABRIC.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,131, dated March27, 1900.

Application filed June 7,1899. Serial No. 719,730. (No model.)

['0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. SHEPPARD, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented newand useful Improvements in Metal Fabrics, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates especially to the construction of v metallicfabric, and has for its object the provision of such fabric made ofwire, of any size or shape in cross-section, the intersecting points ofthe material of which the fabric is made being smooth and uniform inappearance and without twists in the strands, providing aperfectly-rigid fab ric, the strands being held in any desired relationto each other.

To attain the desired end my invention consists, essentially, in a metalfabric made of wire of substantially-uniform diameter, the strands ofthe material in one direction being perforated and in the otherdirection passing through said perforations, the mate,-v rial at suchintersections being compressed to form substantially-rigid connections,making the strands immovable in relation to each other; and my inventionalso involves certain other novel and useful combinations of parts andpeculiarities of construction, all of which will be hereinafter firstfully described and then pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a planview of a frag-- ment of metal fabric embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa sectional view'at line a aof Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a like view at linea; so thereof. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the strands formingone direction of the fabric. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view at line 0c of Fig. 4.

Similar numerals of reference wherever they occur indicate correspondingparts in all the figures.

For convenience I have shown the fabric and its constituent parts on anenlarged scale, and it is obvious that any size or shape of material maybe employed, and the shape and size of the openings in the fabric maybevaried at pleasure without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In making my improved metal fabric one direction of the material, suchas 1, is fiattened at fixed intervals 2, Figs. 4 and 5, and aperforation 3 is made through each fiattened part. The transversestrands 4: of the fabric are passed through the perforations 3, and ateach intersecting point pressure is applied to the metal, reducing thediameter of the material 1 where it has been expanded by the flatteningprocess, and at the same time attenuating the portion of the strand 4passing through the strand 1, thus forming a locking together of thestrands, preventing any possi ble movement at the points ofintersection.

It will thus be seen that I produce a metal fabric having a uniform andeven structure, which is not only pleasing to the eye, but the openingsbetween the strands are regular in shape and the strands are permanentlyheld at desired angles to each other. The metal at the meeting pointshas no unsightly depressions, such as are caused by twisting orriveting, distorting the shape of the opening, and serving to catchmoisture, causing the fabric to rust, as is the case with woven wire asheretofore produced.

.My improved metal fabric is particularly adapted for use in themanufacture of what is known as wire-glass.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein,anddesire to se cure by Letters Patent, is

A metal fabric formed of strands of wire of substantially-uniformdiameter, the strandsin one direction being perforated, and in the otherdirection passing through said perforations,the material of theimperforate strands being attenuated within the perforations,and theperforated strands compressed around the attenuations.

Signed by me at New York, N. Y., this 6th day of June, 1899.

JOSEPH W. SHEPPARD. Witnesses:

GHAs. F. Foe-e, A. M. PIERCE.

